PixelActive's CityScape Partners with Emergent to Accelerate Prototyping and Development

Carlsbad, Calif. -- March 16, 2009 -- PixelActive is pleased to announce that CityScape, the rapid urban development tool for virtual worlds, has joined the Emergent Software Partner Program. This partnership demonstrates that CityScape is a production level program for developers of video games, simulations, and virtual worlds.

CityScape is the only tool for virtual urban development that provides the benefits of both hand-built and procedural cities. With CityScape, users can create natural 3D environments and build cities with complex road networks, traffic, weather, props, and game data. Active Adjustment improves creation and modification time by intuitively adjusting objects and the environment in real-time. Environments created in CityScape are easily exported into commercial and proprietary engines. The tool also includes algorithms for efficient exporting to improve rendering and loading speeds. CityScape is already in use by developers in the video game and serious games industries including Volition, Inc. (creators of the Red Faction® and Saints Row® franchises), and Bunkspeed.

Emergent Game Technologies works with developers and the industry’s top middleware providers to create state-of-the-art software and services needed to rapidly move from prototype to final product. These proven, stand-alone solutions include the award-winning Gamebryo® software platform and the recently announced Gamebryo LightSpeed™. Emergent helps developers fulfill their maximum creative potential by giving them the power to endlessly– and efficiently– iterate development.

"The partnership with Emergent shows that CityScape is the best tool for urban development. Anyone building a city based game or virtual world today should be using CityScape," says Steve Rotenberg, CEO of PixelActive. "CityScape is the right tool for the job. It will save developers time and money while improving quality which mirror the benefits from Emergent’s products."

Emergent’s Partner Program has been a key factor in why studios view Gamebryo as the industry’s most extensible game development platform and why LightSpeed™ will continue and grow that legacy. The open framework inherent in Emergent’s products enables partner technology like CityScape to be seamlessly incorporated, providing Emergent customers the opportunity to select technology that creates the best solution for their needs.

“Developers are willing to take risks on gameplay and storytelling to make that next breakthrough title -- but there is no reason to take a risk on core technology -- that’s where Emergent comes in, along with our partners,” said John Austin, VP of partner programs, Emergent Game Technologies.“CityScape is a powerful addition to the Gamebryo arsenal that will enable our customers to rapidly create complex, immersive 3D city environments.”

About PixelActive

PixelActive is a tools and technology company out of Carlsbad, California. PixelActive was founded by Steve Rotenberg, former director of software development at Angel Studios (now Rockstar San Diego), and Michael Kelley, former technical director at Angel Studios/Rockstar San Diego. The founders have released titles on the Nintendo 64, Sony PlayStation and PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox and Xbox 360. Their previous work has been used in the Midnight Club, Grand Theft Auto, and Red Dead Revolver Franchises.

About Emergent

Emergent Game Technologies works with developers and the industry’s top middleware providers to create state-of-the-art software and services needed to rapidly move from prototype to final product. Emergent helps developers fulfill their maximum creative potential by giving them the power to endlessly– and efficiently– iterate development.

Emergent’s proven, stand-alone solutions include the award winning Gamebryo software platform that has been used in more than 250 shipped game titles on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC and Wii. Publishers that have used Gamebryo in the past include: Disney, Google, Electronic Arts (EA), Take Two, Namco and THQ to name but a few. Gamebryo has been used as the core tech across all genres in high profile titles ranging from EA-Mythic’s Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and Firaxis’ Civilization Revolution to downloadable casual games.

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